thINKthursday
KWZ Azure #4

Dive to new depths with KWZ Azure #4.

KWZ produces a beautiful array of blue inks, but Azure #4 is a real standout. Azure #4 is a deep denim blue that shades to lighter cerulean tones. KWZ ink comes in a round, tall 60ml glass bottle. The bottle and box label are hand-swabbed to make referencing the color a real breeze. With a wide round opening, filling from any pen is no problem. This review was done with a Pilot Custom 74 F, Lamy Studio B and on Rhodia blank No. 18 paper.

Azure #4 is a moderate shading ink that looks noticeably different in a fine versus a broad nib. In a finer nib, the ink is a uniform dark navy that could almost be mistaken for a blue-black, but it definitely leans towards the blue side. In a broad nib, the ink starts off as a light cerulean blue that quickly shades to a denim blue. From there, the ink finishes as deep azure navy.

Besides having a large selection of colors, KWZ inks have great properties. Azure #4 has good flow with no feathering for bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. This is a highly saturated ink but still had good dry times at 20-30 seconds. While the ink didn’t have any water resistance, clean up was easy.

Can you ever have too many blue inks? If your answer is no then I’d definitely give Azure #4 a try. It’s a true workhorse ink that is perfect for the office, but has enough personality to enjoy at home.

As with any ink review, the pen, paper, and person doing the writing will influence the way the ink looks. If you’re not sure about a color, try a sample to see if it’s the one for you!

Ink it Up!
Chris

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